Posted on 10/12/2001 10:19:27 AM PDT by ArGee
As I begin this series, I aim to be concise. My goal is to distill for you summary truths about Islam and the Bible. At all times, feel free to have me explain something futher in a subsequent email installment, or to question my sources, reasonings, etc. In each email I intend to address two stated subjects, and I will number them sequentially thoughout the entire series.
Godspeed,
John
The Qur'an (which means "Recitation") is the holy book of the religion of Islam (a word which means "submit"). The Islamic people are known as Muslims. The origin of this word is uncertain, either from a people in sixth century A.D. who originally followed a prophet named Maslamah, or it may mean "traitor," used originally as a derogatory word by those who opposed Islam, but later adopted as a badge of honor by followers of Islam. The Qur'an is composed of 114 Surahs. The first Surah is short and gives a model prayer for Muslims. Surahs 2-114 do not have a historical or theological order, but they go in order from the longest to the shortest. Surahs may be regarded as chapters, but not in the biblical sense of an ordered larger text. Rather, each Surah is regarded as a distinct revelation given by the Muslim god Allah to the otherwise illiterate Muhammad (ca. 570-632 A.D.), during the last 22 years of his life. The Qur'an is designed for recitation by faithful Muslims who are expected to submit to it without questions.
Thus, we note some crucial distinctions. The Bible starts with the origin of history, and traces history to the time of Jesus's first disciples, and is written by many people over thousands of years who belong to a redemptive community. The witness of many, where cross-examination of truth claims is assumed. The Qur'an comes through one man over 22 years, starts with a doctrinal prayer, and is historically and theologically unordered thereafter. The witness of one, where there is no cross-examination of truth claims.
The name of Allah comes from a pagan male deity in Arabia at the time, who had his female consort, Al-Lat. The Qur'an represents Allah as the true and all-powerful god. But in historical terms, we shall see how Muhammad elevated a local tribal deity to be the One God, in order to advance his stature as the Prophet of the One God.
Thus we see a conflict, which solid historical work reveals: Unbelievers seek to reduce the true God in Genesis to the level of a pagan and limited deity; the god of Islam is in reality an obscure pagan deity who has been raised to the level of being the "One God."
Shalom.
Is Islam a religion of peace?
Don Walker Oct. 11, 2001
In recent weeks a lot has been said about the religion of Islam. Undoubtedly, some of what has been said is for the purpose of creating political alliances and a climate of tolerance. Islam has been described by some as "a religion of peace." In fact, it has been pointed out the word "Islam" itself means "peace." We are told that the acts of the Islamic terrorists are an aberration of the true Muslim faith.
It has been said that, "The terrorists are to Islam what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christianity." Is this really the case, or are the terrorists acting within the borders of an Islamic worldview and an interpretation of the Koran believed by many of their clerics?
Let us begin with the word "Islam." It is an Arabic word that is etymologically related to the Hebrew word "Shalom," which is translated as "peace." In the Western world, our understanding of "peace" differs to a great extent from that of the Middle Easterner. To the Middle Easterner, "peace" connotes the idea of "having your foot on your enemies neck" i.e.; "surrender" or "submission." To the Muslim, peace can only come when there is a surrender and submission to Allah. I dare say, this is a far cry from what most Westerners mean by "peace."
The noted historian Paul Johnson,writing in National Review, makes this comment, "The word Islam does not mean peace but submission." He goes on to say that Islam is "an imperialistreligion, more so than Christianity has ever been and in contrast to Judaism."
We, in the Western world, are far too ignorant of the second largest religion in the world. We are naive regarding the intentions of Islam and ignorant of its history. The very "root" of Islam is in military conquest, and the "fruit" we observe today springs forth from this root.
Here is a little history lesson.
Muhammad, whose name means, "highly praised," was born approximately 570 A.D. in Mecca. He lived a rather unremarkable life until, according to Islamic tradition, the angel Gabriel visited him at 40 years of age and called him into the service of Allah. Judaism and Christianity probably influenced Muhammad, along with the folk religions of the region.
As he sought to propagate his new religion, he was met with opposition. Town after town rejected Muhammad, as he sought to establish himself as Allah's messenger. Finally, the little town of Yathrib invited him and his small band of followers to take up residence. The town later changed its name to Medina ("the prophet's city") to honor him. Muhammad's move to Medina is called "the Hegira," meaning the "breaking off of one's own tribe." Today this marks the beginning of the Muslim era: September 622 A.D.
With the Hegira began a period of Muslim expansion. The people of Mecca who had rejected him became Muhammad's enemies; and in the name of Allah he began to prepare a "holy war" (Jihad) against them. Arming his followers, Muhammad conquered one village after another, building strength for an assault on Mecca. In 630 A.D. he entered Mecca as a conqueror and ordered the over 350 idols worshipped in the chief shrine, Kaaba, be destroyed. He declared that no unbeliever should enter Mecca again.
Two years later, having returned to Medina, Muhammad became ill and died at the age of 61 on June 8, 632 A.D. By this time he had conquered most of Arabia.
As I trust you can see, from its very beginning Islam was spread by the edge of a sword. The history of Islam is replete with violence and warfare, from its birth to the present day. When the Muslims invaded Spain, it took over seven centuries to drive them out. The Muslim Ottoman Turks slaughtered a million Armenians in 1915-16 (a fact still ignored by much of the Western world). Today, in the Sudan over two million Christians have been slaughtered, and many more sold into slavery, all under the direction of the Islamic General Umar Bashir. In Indonesia, Muslims have killed over 300,000 East Timorese Catholics since 1975.
Please understand I am not ignorant of the Crusades, the Spanish conquistadors, or other deeds done in the name of Christ. I am well aware of the abusiveness of "Christianity" over the centuries and find it repugnant. But I do not find conquering by the sword the standard M.O. of Christianity. Unlike Muhammad, Jesus and His followers did not initiate the spread of their faith by military force.
What does Islam teach regarding the concept of jihad?
One finds many injunctions with in the Koran exhorting believers to defend and spread the faith. The character of this defense is determined by how one interprets the doctrine of jihad ("struggle for the faith"), which is discussed in numerous verses in the Koran. In one sense, it is understood as the individual's struggle with his own nature to follow the precepts of Allah. But one cannot deny that it also calls for one to literally fight for his faith.
Philip K. Hitti, in his book entitled Islam in the West, describes it this way: The doctrine of jihad ("holy war") divided the world into two realms, the abode of peace and the abode of war, and made it incumbent upon the believer to keep on pushing the wall between the two until the whole world is Islamized - reminiscent of the modern communist theory. He who fell on the battlefield was promised immediate entry into Paradise.
Allow me to quote from the Koran. From reading its injunctions, it is quite easy to see the justification the Islamic terrorists find for their actions.
O believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Let them find firmness in you. (Sura:9, Ayat:123)
Fight those who believe not... even if they be People of the Book until they have willing agreed to pay the tribute in recognition of their submissive state. (Sura:9, Ayat:29)
You will be called to fight a mighty nation; fight them until they embrace Islam. (Sura:48, Ayat:16)
Then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them. And seize them,beleaguer them and lie in wait for them, in every stratagem (of war). (Sura:9, Ayat:5)
Is Islam a religion of peace? The actions of Muhammad, its history, and the words of the Koran seem to say otherwise. Therefore, the real answer to Islamic terrorism will not be found in physical weapons of war. It is a religious system which will continue to produce followers, who will faithfully wage jihad against the "infidels." They will not play the game of "leave us alone and we will leave you alone." It's against their religion.
The real answers is in converting them to Christianity (as the Celts did the barbarous Vikings) and, thus, transform the Islamic nations into Christian ones. Is that not what the Great Commission tells us to do? To disciple the nations and teach them to obey Christ's commandments (Mt. 28:19-20). It maybe that the current situation is part of God's strategy to open the Islamic world to Christian missionaries in an unprecedented way. I pray that this is so, because I know of no other hope for the world apart from the Prince of Peace and His gospel.
Shalom.
Shalom.
The Gospel according to
St. Matthew
Chapter 5
The Holy Bible
King James Version 2000Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Mohammed:
Medina Suras
The Chapter of Women
[Chapters from the Koran]
The Harvard Classics 1909–14But if there befalls you grace from God, he would say—as though there were no friendship between you and him—‘O would that I had been with thee to attain this mighty happiness!’ Let those then fight in God’s way who sell this life of the world for the next; and whoso fights in God’s way, then, be he killed or be he victorious, we will give him a mighty hire.
What ails you that ye do not fight in God’s way, and for the weak men and women and children, who say, ‘Lord, bring us out of this town 19 of oppressive folk, and make for us from Thee a patron, and make for us from Thee a help?’
Those who believe fight in the way of God; and those who disbelieve fight in the way of Tâghût; fight ye then against the friends of Satan, verily, Satan’s tricks are weak.
Do ye not see those to whom it is said, ‘Restrain your hands, and be steadfast in prayer and give alms;’ and when it is prescribed for them to fight then a band of them fear men, as though it were the fear of God or a still stronger fear, and they say, ‘O our Lord! why hast thou prescribed for us to fight, couldst thou not let us abide till our near appointed time?’ Say, ‘The enjoyment of this world is but slight, and the next is better for him who fears;’—but they shall not be wronged a straw.
... Why are ye two parties about the hypocrites, when God hath overturned them for what they earned? Do ye wish to guide those whom God hath led astray? Whoso God hath led astray ye shall not surely find for him a path. They would fain that ye misbelieve as they misbelieve, that ye might be alike; take ye not patrons from among them until they too flee in God’s way; but if they turn their backs, then seize them and kill them wheresoever ye find them, and take from them neither patron nor help,—save those who reach a people betwixt whom and you is an alliance—or who come to you while their bosoms prevent them from fighting you or fighting their own people. But had God pleased He would have given you dominion over them, and they would surely have fought you. But if they retire from you and do not fight you, and offer you peace,—then God hath given you no way against them.
Ye will find others who seek for quarter from you, and quarter from their own people; whenever they return to sedition they shall be overturned therein: but if they retire not from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wheresoever ye find them;—over these we have made for you manifest power.
No rebuttal here! That was my first impression after reading some of the Qur'an on September 12. If it's not God's word (and Allah is NOT God!) then who else could he be?
In Mecca, on the mideastern shores of the Red sea, in the year 596AB and 153 years after the opening of the Fourth Seal when Death began to ride the Pale Horse, Mohammed, the son of Abdallah, was born. One day, at the age of forty, he was wandering among the rocks at the foot of Mount Hara. He entered the mouth of a cave and sat there musing. As he mused he was shaken by an unseen power. And he sat there trembling and disturbed, suddenly a light flashed and the Angel Gabriel stood before him and in the name of God (Allah) commanded him to preach the true religion.
Mohammed is reported to have run home and told his wife that he was possessed of a devil and had gone mad. She listened to the account of his experience and told him he was to be a prophet to his people. But Mohammed was tortured with the thought that the revelations he was receiving might be from the Evil One. John declared that Mohammed was inspired from the Bottomless Pit, so his apprehensions and fears were well founded
"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. An he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."
That would be the abridged, or Protestant Bible, which is missing seven complete books from the Old Testament, seven chapters of Esther, 66 verses of the third chapter of Daniel and chapters 13 and 14 of Daniel.
There are ways to test such a proposition. This series John is working on provides some good insights. I already have #3 and #4. I'll post them soon. Some of your questions might be answered there.
Hint. If I told you that George W. Bush was quoted as saying: "Have her meet me in the alcove off the Oval Office. I want to see if she has the right qualifications as an intern." Would you suspect that I wasn't quoting W. but was, in fact, quoting someone else?
Shalom.
It is true that Rev. Rankin is a Protestant pastor. I believe that, if we ignore this minor difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations the rest of what he says is something that we can all support.
If you agree, then perhaps we can avoid sniping at one another for a while and seek the Unity that our Lord and Savior prayed we would seek.
Shalom.
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